The present invention relates to a method for treating mushrooms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for treating mushrooms, in order to preserve and clean them and to improve their flavor, by soaking the mushrooms in an edible vegetable oil such as soybean oil.
Previous methods for treating mushrooms for purposes of preservation have included, for example, such processes as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,018,909, 3,658,554 and 3,857,979. In the method as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,018,909, for example, there is provided a complex series of steps including evaporation of part of the water content of the mushrooms, dipping of the mushrooms in hot cottonseed or olive oil and various heating steps.
By the present invention, there is provided an improved method of the treatment of mushrooms, which method has been found to markedly increase the length of time over which the mushrooms may be preserved in a fresh condition. In addition, a definite improvement has been noted in the flavor of mushrooms treated in accordance with the present invention. The method of the present invention includes soaking of the mushrooms in an edible vegetable oil such as soybean oil. The soaking step is followed by rinsing clean in water and air drying of the mushrooms or, alternatively, by applying a source of air under pressure to clean the mushrooms and remove excess oil.